Gefen
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Gefen | |
| Coordinates: 31°44′27″N 34°52′42″E / 31.74083°N 34.87833°E / 31.74083; 34.87833 | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Jerusalem |
| Council | Mateh Yehuda |
| Affiliation | Hapoel HaMizrachi |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founded by | Moroccan Jews |
| Population (2024)1 | 422 |
Gefen (Hebrew: גֶּפֶן, lit. 'Grapevine') is a moshav in central Israel. Located between Beit Shemesh and Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2024 it had a population of 422.1
History
The village was established in 1955 by Jewish immigrants from Morocco on land that had belonged to the depopulated Palestinian Arab village of Mughallis.2
The name is taken from Psalm 80:15: "God Almighty, look down from heaven and see; watch over this grapevine."3
References
References
- "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 220. ISBN 0-88728-224-5. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
- Yizhaqi, Arie (ed.): Madrich Israel (Israel Guide: An Encyclopedia for the Study of the Land), Vol.9: Judaea, Jerusalem 1980, Keter Press, p.379 (Hebrew)